Job references and background checks: the guide

How do references work in Canada?

In Canada, references do not go on your resume: you provide them on request, usually toward the end of the process, when the employer is choosing between two or three candidates. A reference call can then make the difference. This guide helps you choose your references, prepare them with a ready-to-copy message, and understand your rights during a background check.

The Government of Alberta, in its guide on how to choose the best job references (opens in a new tab), recommends having three to five references ready for each application, and more for senior positions. At least three people on your list should have supervised you, at work, at school or in a volunteer role.

Who should you choose as a reference?

The same guide distinguishes two types of references: professional (supervisors, coworkers, clients, current or former employers) and personal (teachers, coaches, neighbours). Favour people who have seen your work up close and can speak to skills related to the job.

If a reference works abroad, note their time zone and the language they prefer to be contacted in. Volunteering in Canada is also an excellent source of local references, as our guide to a first job without Canadian experience explains.

How do you ask someone to be a reference?

Ask permission for every application, not just the first time: that is the Alberta guide’s advice, which also suggests giving references at least a few days to prepare for a call, and two weeks for a reference letter. Send your reference the job title, the posting and the two or three skills you would like them to highlight.

Message to copy and adapt:

Hello Ms. Singh,

I am applying for the accounting technician position at Prairie Supply in Calgary. Would you be willing to be one of my references? The employer may call you within the next two weeks. The role focuses on bank reconciliations and month-end close, two tasks you saw me handle. I have attached the posting for reference.

Thank you very much, and please let me know if the timing does not work for you.

Always give the person an easy way to decline. A hesitant reference does more harm than no reference.

What goes on your reference list?

Prepare a separate page, with the same file naming and design as your resume, to hand over only on request:

After the employer decides, thank your references whether or not you got the job: the Alberta guide recommends it, and they will be more willing to help next time.

Can an employer contact your former employers without your consent?

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada stated, in a summary of investigation findings (opens in a new tab), that a prospective employer should obtain a candidate’s explicit consent before asking former employers about them. If you are searching discreetly, say so clearly: you can ask the employer to let you know before contacting your current employer.

What is a criminal record check?

Some jobs require a criminal record check. According to the RCMP (opens in a new tab) (page modified October 3, 2025), a name-based check may not confirm identity; you may then be asked for fingerprints, the most accurate method. For jobs working with vulnerable people, the check also covers record suspensions for sexual offences.

In Quebec, the Charter of human rights and freedoms protects candidates. According to the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (opens in a new tab) (in French), an employer cannot refuse to hire you because of an offence unrelated to the job, or an offence for which you obtained a pardon; a zero-tolerance policy does not comply with the Charter. It is up to the employer to show, based on objective facts, the link between the offence and the job.

This article is not legal advice. For a specific situation, contact the Commission or the human rights body in your province.

How can Postulio help?

Postulio’s CV Studio flags the "References available on request" line, which is unnecessary on a Canadian resume, so the space goes to your achievements; you hand over your list at the right time. The Premium plan adds one session with a person a month, for example a mock interview to prepare for the final stages of the process. No tool can guarantee an offer.

Sources

• alis, Government of Alberta, How to choose the best job references (opens in a new tab) — number and types of references, permission for each application, lead times, thanking references.
• Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, PIPEDA case summary 2007-382 (opens in a new tab) — explicit consent before contacting former employers.
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police, criminal record checks (opens in a new tab) — name-based or fingerprint-based checks, vulnerable sector (page modified October 3, 2025).
• Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, hiring and employment (opens in a new tab) — criminal records, link to the job, pardon and zero tolerance (in French).